Strange Things (Are Happening)
by DontMindMeNow
Summary: Elsa awakens to find herself in a strange new world, where she has no powers, she can't remember anything that happened after ice-skating with Anna, she has no idea where she or anyone else is, and every piece of furniture is gigantic. What will happen when she encounters a certain band of toys? No non-canon pairings, all-age friendly, post-Toy Story 3.
1. Everything Seems Small

Blackness. Elsa was in blackness. Nothing but shapes and vague, blank memories floating in an out of her view, a mess of confusing noises, all unintelligible, all meaningless. She couldn't see. Couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. As though she had been returned to the womb itself.

And she had no idea how long she'd been like this.

Suddenly, a blinding light flooded in, and an unseen force was pulling, lifting Elsa out of the darkness.

She started to feel real sensations again. The voices were still unintelligible, and the shapes still blurred, but as Elsa came into consciousness it became clearer that they were from the outside world, not her own head as before.

The force had removed her from her prison was now working on her hands, loosening something that had been restraining her. Then it repeated the exercise on her legs, and across her torso.

As Elsa started to make out different colors of the new world around her, the force finished removing her restraints and had lifted her up, and she could feel herself being swung through air. Her consciousness started to come into focus, and her first thoughts questioned why she wasn't resisting this action.

Her hearing slowly became clearer, though more quickly than her eyesight, and she heard a distant noise, like someone calling. Elsa couldn't understand what the voice was saying. A louder, childish voice responded from much closer by.

"But Mom, I just opened it up!"

The distant voice spoke again, and this time Elsa made it out. It seemed to say, "Come on Bonnie, let's go!"

The louder voice let out a pout, and Elsa suddenly found herself in freefall. She landed on a soft, cushion-like surface. She blinked, and her vision came into full focus just in time for her to see a large figure – presumably the source of the loud voice, and possibly the force that had freed her – leave the room.

Elsa sat, baffled and confused, able to see and feel and think, but unable to process the world around her. Then her memories came flooding back.

The night with Anna, making snowmen. Freezing Anna's head. The trolls. The years of isolation. The coronation. Hans. Running away. The ice palace. Freezing Anna's heart. Almost becoming a monster. The dungeon. The frozen fjord. Her sister's statue. The shock made her convulse and shudder with agony.

A final, more peaceful memory made its way back to Elsa, that of breaking the curse and reconciling with Anna. And that was it. Her memories ended with her day with Anna on the ice-skating rink.

_That's it?_ she wondered. _How could my memory end there? What happened? Where's Anna? How did I get…_

Elsa's anxiety about her sudden amnesia subsided when she recalled the events that had just taken place.

…_here?_

_Where is here?_

She sat up and oriented herself, scanning the room around her. She was baffled. The room was enormous, as large as any of the grand halls of her castle, even the ballroom. But more terrifying than that was that the room was filled with _gigantic furniture_. Every couch and chair looked like it was intended for someone of monstrous proportions. Her mind thought of the horrible, man-eating giants of the stories she'd read as a child. Jack and his beanstalk. Could it be real? Could she be in the home of a giant in the clouds?

_Evidently not in the clouds_, she noted as she spied the window and the view outside. She could see grass, and bright sun, and trees. She also noticed a strange, black, paved terrain that she had never seen before. But that was far from the most pressing concern at the moment.

There were two couches, one of which she was sitting on, and a chair. There was a small table positioned parallel to her couch. On it, there was a box about Elsa's size, which looked as though it had been broken into already. There was a clear, thin material covering the box's interior, and on the top the word "Gisney" was styled in fanciful font, although Elsa couldn't comprehend why the "G" appeared to be positioned backwards. Another moment of thought allowed Elsa to realize that must have been the prison she had been enclosed in. Those strange straws next to it must have been her restraints.

So it was one of the giants that had freed her. But then another one had called it away. And now Elsa was alone in their home.

_Am I alone?_ Elsa had no idea how she got here, after all; she might not be the only one they had captured.

_Oh no,_ Elsa thought, cursing her conveniently malfunctioning memory. _Had they invaded Arendelle? Had they taken citizens? Had they laid waste to the nation?_

_Had they taken Anna?_

Terror flooded through Elsa. Even after her analysis, she still had no idea where she was, no idea how she had gotten there, no idea what the giants had in store for her if they returned. But more importantly, she had no idea who else was with here, or where the people she cared about were.

She pushed the horrifying thoughts of what these monsters might have done to her sister, and the general populace, aside. This was no time for panic. She needed to think. She needed to act. It was time to start moving.

She looked down. If she jumped off the couch, she would break her legs. _A snow cushion would work nicely,_ she mused. She stretched out her arms and fired a blast of snow, to soften the impact.

Except she didn't. No blast of ice came from her hands as it always had. Perplexed, Elsa tried again. Nothing. Two more tries. Both misfires. _What is happening?_

Could the giants have found a way to neutralize her power? Just when she had learned to control it, it was gone. _Why? Why now?_

_This just got a whole lot harder._

Elsa didn't have time to think. New plan. The table was close enough for her to climb across. From there, she could slide down one of the legs. She stood up, and gently stretched across to the table.

Grasping the edge, she pulled herself across to the other side. Hanging on, she wrapped her own legs around that of the table. Once she was firmly secure, she let go and grabbed the leg, and gently slid down to the carpeted floor below.

Standing up, she was surprised at herself. She was feeling adventurous. She wondered if this is what it felt like to be Anna.

_Anna._

She looked around. There was a hardwood floor ahead that she ran to. This appeared to be the hall. Several rooms lined both sides, with a staircase at the end. She listened. There was no sign that there were any active giants about.

_Doesn't mean one couldn't be sleeping._ She had to be cautious. A nagging thought warned her about the foolhardiness of going deeper into the giants' fortress. But she couldn't find her way home alone, and she couldn't abandon anyone who was being held captive with her.

A sudden, loud noise came from the ceiling above her. So _something_ was upstairs. Elsa decided that getting a better idea of what she was up against would be a good idea. In retrospect, Elsa noted that this was a foolish idea, one that could have gotten her killed had her suspicions proved accurate, but then again, rescue missions were hardly her area of expertise. _This is why Arendelle has knights,_ Elsa mused.

She reached the end of the stairwell and pulled herself to the top of each step. She was nearly halfway up the spiraled staircase when she saw something that made her freeze in her tracks. An enormous, terrifying dog, as big as the largest elk, sound asleep five steps above her.

Elsa had never seen a dog up close before, certainly not a giant monster like this. Though she did notice that, were it proportioned normally, it actually would have been a smaller breed. It had light, grayish-brown fur on its face, and a darker gray coat covering its back. It appeared sound asleep.

Elsa considered the possibility that the dog had been the source of the noise she had heard previously, and that it may be wise to turn around. But she was determined to know for sure. Her entire experience since she had been released was nothing but uncertainty, and she wanted to be certain of at least one thing.

So, quiet and cautious, she snuck past the dog and continued on to the top of the staircase.

There were two rooms at the top. To her left, the door was wide open, and the room was dark. There was clearly no one there. The other room had a mostly-closed door, was lit, and there was definite sound coming from it. Against her better judgment, she peered through the crack.

Elsa was astounded. It looked like a child's room, with a single bed, green wallpaper, and some windows – but what was far more shocking was the fact that the room was filled with _walking, talking toys._

Some looked fairly human, although they were wearing strange outfits and were oddly proportioned; then there were more curious ones, such as what looked to be toy dogs, toy dinosaurs, toy hedgehogs, toy pigs; it was a veritable wonderland.

_What sort of place is this?_

Elsa hadn't realized how much pressure she was placing on the door, and it slid open. She fell forward and landed on her face. The room fell silent. Slowly she lifted her head and saw that the entire room of toys was staring at her. After a brief silence, the big green dinosaur spoke first.

"A new toy!"

_Toy?_

Cheers erupted around the room, confusing Elsa further. Before they could rush her, however, one toy, a human-esque toy with a yellow suit and broad brown hat, quickly got in front of them and calmed them down. He then approached Elsa, slowly extending a hand as Elsa started to withdraw.

"Well howdy there! My name's Sheriff Woody, and welcome to Bonnie's room!"


	2. What Do I Not Know?

Elsa's sensory input levels had gone critical. She was seeing, she was hearing, but her mind was overloaded with so much new information that she couldn't process anything. Giants, no powers, strange world, friends and family gone, and now talking toys…

Talking toys that thought she was one of them…

_No. That's not true. That's impossible. None of this is real. Something's happening. I don't understand what. But something._

There was so much Elsa needed to ask, needed to shout, needed to demand, needed to understand. But she couldn't manage more than a meek statement.

"You're toys. You're _talking toys._"

Woody's smile faltered, and Elsa noted confusion and possible concern on his face. "Well… yeah. We are." He was genuinely uncertain on what to make of her words. "Um… well, what's your name, new fella?"

"How."

"Sorry?"

"_How _are you alive?" Elsa asked, hints of panic and confusion in her voice. "How are you talking like that? Toys aren't alive. They're inanimate objects… is this a spell? Are you enchanted? How… how is this possible?"

"Um…" Woody looked backward toward the crowd helplessly. What was going on? Did she not know? How could she not know? No toy had ever believed that they were real… except…

He looked up on the bed behind him, where Buzz was standing with Jessie and Bullseye. He motioned, and Buzz slid off the bed and walked up beside him.

Taking a deep breath, Woody turned back to Elsa. "There's… there's no magic here. Nothing sinister like that." Noticing she was still clearly distressed, he said, "Please, just try to relax."

Realizing she was starting to hyperventilate, Elsa took a deep breath as well, and slowly calmed herself down. Woody spoke again. "Now, could you tell us who you are?"

"I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle. I don't know how I came here. But somehow, I have wound up shrunk down to your size, I've lost my ability to generate ice, I've lost my memory of everything that has happened since I took up my royal position, I was just released from a box I was imprisoned in, and I do not know where my subjects are or if my kingdom is in danger. I _need help_. Please tell me you can explain."

Whispers broke out from the crowd, each of which just further confused Elsa, but enlightened Woody on what he was dealing with.

"_Elsa…"_

"_From that movie… Frozen…"_

"_The one Bonnie won't stop talking about…"_

"_Bonnie's mom must have finally broke down…"_

"_Her birthday's not even for another week, why's she open already?"_

"_And she thinks she's real? Like Buzz did?"_

Woody and Buzz looked at each other knowingly. Turning back to Elsa, Woody spoke again.

"There's no easy way to tell you what I need to tell you." Elsa gasped, fearing the worst.

"Elsa… you are a toy."

"What? I was turned into a toy?"

"Well, yes and no…"

"Hold on, Woody." Buzz stepped forward. "Elsa, you're a toy based on a character from a story. A fictional character. Your memories aren't your own, they're from the character you're based on."

Elsa's voice broke. "_No…"_

But Buzz went on. "All toys are alive, Elsa. We just can't show it in front of real people, that's why they don't know. Usually toys come with blank memories, to be filled with the experiences they'll have. But sometimes, toys based on story characters will have the memories of that character. This happened to me, too. No one realized it. I went around for days thinking I was a real Space Ranger and…"

Elsa buckled to her knees, stunned. "No… no… _no…."_

Woody pushed Buzz aside. "Sorry Buzz, but this isn't helping her. Elsa, if this is too much at once…"

Elsa looked up, miserable. "Please, Sheriff… I need a moment. Alone."

Woody understood. "Alright." He turned and motioned the crowd away.

Elsa cupped her face in her hands, and as she moved her arms she noticed something strange on her back. She tugged and saw a cloth tag, bearing the same backwards-G _Gisney_ logo from the box.

_Arendelle's not real. My powers aren't real. My memories aren't real…_

_Anna's not real._

_Anna was never real._


	3. Fears that Once Controlled Me

To say that Woody was a little upset with the turn of events was a serious understatement. He was fuming. He grabbed Buzz by the wrist and dragged him back behind the bed, and subsequently began shouting in hushed tones.

"_What did you do?!_ Why would you do that? Do you not know how to break something gently? You can't just drop a bombshell like that on her! Did you not notice how stressed she clearly was even _before_ you started in on her? Oh wow, Buzz, just… _why?_"

Buzz, more than a little frustrated himself, was quick with a response. "Woody, you know full well that I'm the only toy here who understands what she's going through. You know why I had to break it to her all at once. You saw what I was like. _I_ saw what I was like when I ran into that Buzz at Al's Toy Barn years ago. I was deluded. Raving. A mockery that everyone was laughing at behind my back…"

"Buzz, you know that was a mistake…"

"I don't blame you, Woody. You didn't know. How could you, you'd never seen a toy with false memories before. You didn't even realize you were _from_ a show. But now we know. And to let Elsa suffer, to let her go for days believing she's a real queen who's lost everything would be cruel."

"Buzz, I get it. I get what you were trying to do. But you have to do something to ease the pain! She was already distressed, and telling her all at once that all toys are alive, that _she's _a toy, and that _all her memories are fake_ just amplified that stress tenfold! I'm shocked she didn't faint! Don't you remember how you acted when you found out? You spent a solid day in despair at Sid's home!"

"I know that taking it slower would have softened the blow, but it would have just dragged out the pain! Besides, if she didn't figure it out quickly, we'd risk her acting out in front of Bonnie!"

"Oh, please, it's not like you were doing your Space Ranger routine in front of Andy!"

"That was different! In character, I was a calm observer, so it made sense for me to stay in place in front of Andy! Elsa was panicking and irrational, and she seemed convinced that there was some kind of evil magic or something going on here! She would've lost it in front of Bonnie! Then what?!"

"Buzz, I get that, but… wait… what did Bonnie's mom say they were doing tonight?"

"Um… I think they were going out to see a movie… _Hobbit 2_ or something…"

"Is that a long movie?"

"I think so, but it's been three hours since they left already…"

"Elsa's up here… and Bonnie left her down there." Woody gulped. "We need to get her downstairs. Fast."

...

_Conceal it. Don't feel it. Conceal it. Don't feel it._

Somehow, her father's classic calm-down technique was still applicable even with the loss of the ice powers. It was still applicable even knowing that it was meaningless, and her father was simply a figment of her imagination.

She felt guilt for letting the mantra take control of her, knowing the only moments she could feel happy were when she expressed herself, when she let herself feel. She could sense the disappointment Anna would have in her, seeing her sister close herself up like this. As if her sacrifice on the fjord was hollow and meaningless.

_Yet wasn't it? If Anna never truly existed…_

**No.** She couldn't let herself think that. She couldn't throw away the lessons of the coronation incident. She owed Anna a debt she could never repay. The least she could do was preserve her memory.

Anna was the only thing she did believe in anymore.

Elsa felt her "ice dress", clearly not made of ice (it was some fabric that was alien to her). She looked at her tag. So she was a toy. _So what?_ Anna would say. _That's no reason to give up. It's just a new adventure, and just because I can't have it with you doesn't mean it's a bad one. _

_But I never had an adventure with you,_ Elsa thought in reply.

The Anna-voice in her head replied back. _Don't dwell on the past. Let it go. If you keep me in your memory, without despairing over me, then this will be my adventure just as much as yours. After all, I'm a part of you just as you've been a part of me. _

She continued. _As long as you exist, I'll exist. I promise. Now go. Go be a toy. And don't forget to have fun doing it._

Elsa smiled. Anna always knew just the right things to say.

She stood up. Some of the toys smiled to see her on her feet again. She noticed Woody and Buzz running to her.

"Elsa," Woody said. "I truly apologize for what has happened, but I'm afraid we must get you back!"

"Sheriff, it's not a problem… wait, get me back?"

"Back downstairs. Bonnie will be home soon, and you need to be right where she left you. Otherwise she'll know!"

"Where did she leave you?" Buzz interjected. "It wasn't on one of the tall tables, was it?"

"No, it was on one of the couches."

"Oh, good." Buzz replied. "That shouldn't be too hard to get back too."

The trio slipped through the door and started down the stairs. When they came back to the dog, Woody simply acted indignant.

"Oh great, he's asleep again. Move, Elwood!"

The dog's eyes opened. He yawned, stretched, and obediently shuffled down the steps. The toys followed behind.

The group reached the living room, where they helped hoist Elsa back to her position on the sofa. The two told Elsa to wait for Bonnie, and assured her she would bring her back upstairs when she returned.

Lying down, Elsa mused on her situation for a short while, before the door opened and she heard Bonnie's excited voice.

"Wow! That dragon was so scary! But so cool!"

Elsa listened to Bonnie talking to her family – the dragon was apparently part of something called a "movie" – before Bonnie remembered what she was doing when she left. Excitedly, she bounded off to the sofa, grabbed Elsa, and ran upstairs with her.

_Perhaps this won't be so bad after all._


End file.
